Lavender Harvest & Garden Walk

I dreamed of lavender. 

...And a blue eyed, blond hair princess.

It happens every June, the Lavender harvest.  My little plot on the side of our house. It found a home it loves on the southern exposure.  We barely picked half this year.  Left much for the bees, and the babies that will be visiting soon to pick lavender for the very first time.

We picked and laughed and bumped heads. An embarrassment of riches.

We had a reservation to the Chicago Botanic Garden.  Penny and I were so happy to be back to this special place.  It was very well supervised, everyone had a time to enter and park.  We only saw one family that did not have on masks.  At 10:00 am it was 85 degrees.  Penny wore Grandpa's hat.

The gardens we saw were beautiful and well kept.  Not everything was open.

We were free to stay as long as we liked. 

Summer at the garden is always busy, and though the walk looks pretty empty, there were many many other visitors.  There was no taking off our masks for we were always passing others.

To see a Blue Spruce just as we started our walk was a good sign.  One of my favorite trees.

A walk through the rose garden.  One rose more spectacular than the next.

My beloved cupboard.

  One day when I can thrift safely I will find 

a smaller cupboard of my own.  

Penny loved it too.  A project for us to do together.

Grandpa's gate.  I will never see it without seeing him there. 

 The entrance of the English Walled Garden.  

 The flowers were amazing, beautiful and plentiful.

A budding photographer. 

 Have I mentioned what a pleasure she is to spend time with?  

She has the best ideas, and so much

 enthusiasm about EVERYTHING.  

When I am with her I find myself happier and find her amazing.

This bit of shade was most welcomed.  

We didn't spend much time, but enough that we saw and felt that though many things have changed, our place is still there for us.  We will go back, on a cooler day, Penny suggested. 

We like the familiar, and appreciate the many memories these gardens hold for us.

We went looking for the Bonsai,

but found this little guy.

Photo by Granddaughter Penny

"You will see in the world what you carry in your heart.'

-Creig Crippen

Thanks for stopping by,

Enjoy this beautiful day, but please be safe.

Love, Penny